


Flightless Bird, American Mouth

by B_oys_do_c_ry



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mutual Pining, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_oys_do_c_ry/pseuds/B_oys_do_c_ry
Relationships: Leo/Reader, Leonardo (TMNT)/Reader
Kudos: 9





	Flightless Bird, American Mouth

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet or what? Come on-”

“Leo, will you quit whining?” You kept your attention forward as you weaved through the ancient beams that held up the building’s roof, Leo tailing close behind. You were careful not to put too much pressure onto each pillar, although it was difficult seeing as using them as support was the only way the two of you could make it through the dark.

“I don’t _whine,_ okay. I-” The turtle’s voice was cut off when he misplaced his footing and caught his large foot between two floorboards. “-fall apparently.”

You shook your head as you watched your friend try and retrieve his foot back, yanking a little too hard for it to be comfortable.

“Idiot.”

With a roll of your eyes, you leant down to help manoeuvre his two-toed foot out from the planks of wood. Leo watched as you man-handled his ankle, your lean figure barely visible in the dimly lit space. “Turn it to the right and give it a wiggle.”

Leo’s eyes shot up in a false sense of hurt, placing the hand that was holding his leg now up to his chest, letting his leg go with a ‘flop’.

“If I’m an idiot, then you’re an idiot. We’re both co-presidents of Club Idiot.”

Doing as he was told, Leo managed to free himself, dusting off his knees as he got back to his feet. “Thanks, never thought I’d have to sit and watch you play with my feet, but here we are.”

“Just stay close, will ya’?” You replied a little hastily, grabbing his hand to give him a sense of direction as you tugged him along behind you. “It’ll be too late by the time we get there if we don’t hurry.”

The warmth from your hand against his skin travelled it’s way up to his forearm, causing a blush to rise up his neck and tint his cheeks. Leo kept quiet this time, not wanting to aggravate you more.

Taking a small jump down and hitting a very hollow sounding ground, you stilled, resulting in Leo bumping into you lightly shell first.

“Okay, okay. I need you to cover your eyes for me.” You instructed, your voice seeming a bit more chipper.

“You _do_ realise we’re already in the dark, right?” Leo commented, earning a dead-panned stare.

“Please just do it?” You begged, your eyes ogling at his until he obliged and held his large green hands over his face. “Right, now don’t open them 'till I tell you to.”

“Y'know, if this is your attempt to try and kiss me off guard, you could’ve just asked for one. I’m nice like that.”

“Haha.”

Leo heard you shuffling around on the wooden floor, your footsteps echoing through the entire room. Moments had passed where you still hadn’t come back and he was pretty sure you had left him for shits and giggles.

_This has to be some sort of prank, right?_

The air was dead silent, he couldn’t even hear a single shoe squeak.

“Y/N? You still out there, buddy?” He instantly cringed at the nickname ’ _buddy_ ’ as soon as it left his lips, but he was too busy dreading the thought that you had ditched him in this abandoned…whatever it was, to care too much.

Anxiety slowly rose to his core as he suppressed a nervous chuckle.

_Did I just get stood up?_

A small clash of furniture(?) was heard a couple of feet away from the turtle, startling the daylights out of him until he had the satisfaction of hearing your voice call over: “Yeah, yeah! Sorry just- mn, gimme a second. And…”

Within the next instant, soft light gleamed through the peaks between Leo’s fingers, but still kept them held to his eyes awaiting your command. “Presto!”

A couple of quick, heavy footsteps later and you were already in front of him, holding him by his shoulders, positioning him for the perfect view. Once you were done, your hands came up to gently take a hold of Leo’s, your thumbs running over his cold knuckles as you pulled them away from his face.

The turtle’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he took in every inch of his surroundings. He was mesmerized by the warm bulb lights strung up from the wooden planks that were the ceiling, zigzagging over the area with the odd set of chairs and tables here and there, mostly stacked off in corners.

The yellow-tinted rays shone on the rustic walls, spots of purple wallpaper had lifted and peeled from the dampness of the place. On the far end of the building sat a pub stand accustomed with twinkling fairy lights below the counter, giving it a mystic glow.

You had previously moved beside Leo so he could get a better perspective of the place you once saw as your home, but now you were shifting awkwardly waiting for a response other than a gaping mouth.

Leo’s attention lingered on the sight before creeping its way back to his feet, finally noting how it seemed like you were floating compared to the rest of the room. Beneath his feet stood a worn stage, littered in scuff marks. You could practically smell the burn of the wood from whatever gigs and stunts that had decayed this ancient podium. He could imagine the rumble from the bass and speakers vibrating through his bare feet.

He could tell this place had aged drastically, but _God_ was he not complaining.

“S-so yeah. I know it isn’t much but it’s something that means a lot to me. I thought that you’d, y'know, appreciate it…” Your voice held hesitancy. Your nails dragged themselves up and down your forearm nervously.

The teenager’s eyes met yours with a glimmer you had only witnessed on the occasion, and you couldn’t help but admire how the vintage lighting radiated the red marks around his eyes.

“Appreciate it?” His voice was quiet and questionable, but then with a grand stretch of his arms he announced, “I _love_ it!”

Leo threw his head back with a huge grin, holding his hands up to the sides of his head in astonishment. “Hoho _holy shit-_ This place is _amazing!”_

Almost in a rush, he instantly grabbed your shoulders with a small shake as he beamed with glee. Your cheeks dusted pink at the joyous sight before you. Nothing else compared to this. His ecstasy seemed to have rubbed off you as you felt a toothy smile make it’s way to your features.

“How are you only just showing me this place _now_?” Leo exclaimed almost dumbfounded. His grip on your arms had loosened but they still rested on them lightly, keeping nice proximity between you two. “How did you even find this place, dude? Like I knew you _knew_ people, but this is a whole different level of awesome.”

You shrugged as you took a quick glance away from his stare, “I kind of, used to do gigs here?”

By now Leo’s mouth was slack, gaping wide open in awe. “Shut the front door.”

“I’m serious.” You laughed wholeheartedly.

Leo released his hold on you and flexed his arms as he crossed them over his plastron. He had his non-existent eyebrows quirked, “So you’re expecting me to believe that you were, what, in a band?”

“Pretty much.” You turned to seat yourself at the edge of the stage, dangling your legs over the drop as you looked over the pub/restaurant. “This place was practically my safe haven, now I just come here when I need a breather.”

Mirroring your actions, Leo sat beside you, bumping your knee with his in the process. You leant back with your hands supporting yourself from behind, as Leo held himself up by hugging one of his propped up legs.

His attention flickered between the view and the bistro. “So what happened?”

You sighed as you glanced down at your knees, giving your legs an aimless kick. “Well, you remember Jason?”

Jason O'Callaghan? The Jason who you dated for 5 months and he pretended to not acknowledge you in public because he didn’t want people to know he was with you? The Jason that broke your heart and you ended up breaking his nose? The Jason Leo despised and wished he could’ve dealt with him in a more hateful manor? _That_ Jason?

“Pft, what about that lame excuse for a douche?” Leo’s expression instantly faltered, his mouth etched into a grimace at even the thought of the guy.

He wanted to say he didn’t hold a grudge for your sake, as you seem to have gotten over him, but he couldn’t help but wonder how much he must have hurt you doing what he did. Looking back on it always makes his blood boil.

“He was the lead singer, as I shifted between guitar and drums. Seeing as he was the lead, he was also in charge of the band. And after our whole 'ordeal’, he kicked me out, saying he didn’t need a fag in the band. Like _bro_ , ugh! I wanted to call him out _so_ bad, like 'Hey, you weren’t complaining when I was giving you a hickey the other week’! But, you know… I couldn’t.”

 _You_ _couldhave_ , Leo thought. _But you’re too nice to hurt him the way he hurt you. That’s what makes you different._

“So anyway, I was band-less. I knew that I could have come back and maybe have done solo acts; my uncle always said I’d regret it if I didn’t take the chance. But the thought of coming back and seeing him here… made me sick to my stomach. So I never did. At least not until I found out the place got shut down two months ago.”

During your story, Leo had shifted into a cross-legged position with his arms propped up behind him. He caught a glimpse of how his large thumb was just an inch away from overlapping your much smaller one. He could practically feel your warmth emitting from your form just from where he was sat. If he could just scooch a little closer…

“Leo?”

The turtle’s orbs met yours instantly at the call of his name, interrupting his reverie. “Hm?”

You grinned softly at his raised eyebrow ridge and how his eyes were ample, the marks with them glowing beneath the hue of the room. His lips pursed together in curiosity, anticipation. Having a close up of his face every now and then never ceased to ignite the butterflies in your gut.

Moments like these, you would treasure with Leo. Just you and him against the world. Though you enjoy spending time with all the guys, something about being alone with Leo made you feel…grounded.

The chill vibe that he carries always seems to drift you away from all the worries in the world, making it hard to focus on anything other than him. Not that you were complaining.

An idea came to mind as Leo’s expression grew more and more questionable, sat awkwardly waiting for an answer.

With a 'huff’ you semi-gracefully pealed off your shoes, your warm feet hitting the cold air within an instant, and plonked them beside the edge of the stage.

Leo watched incredulously yet somewhat intrigued as you wobbled to your feet, his eyes drawn to your mismatched socks.

 _Adorable_.

Though you had dragged him out of his thoughts as you took a forceful hold of his hands, dragging him up to his feet also.

“We’re dancing. Right here, right now.” Your gaze seemed stern but your smile gave away your true intentions. “You _do_ know how to dance, right?”

“P-leez. I’ve been the master of street dance since I saw that one music video from five years ago.” Leo held a sassy pose with one hand raised while the other rested on his hip.

You snorted, “Nonono, I mean arms-on-shoulders, hands-on-waist kind of dancing.”

Taken that he had no idea what you meant by his confused state, you adjusted his hands so that they were hooked around your neck, and his eyes were already gaping as you placed your hands on his armoured waist, fingers fiddling with his blue belt.

“O-oh.” Leo’s voice caught in his throat and his arms remained stiff as they rested on your shoulders. Your levelled height made it harder to avoid your gaze, so he kept his eyes awkwardly downcast to both of your feet. “I uh- no I’ve only really seen it in, uhm, Cinderella…”

Your finger hovered over the play buttoned as you looked up to Leo unsure. “You know we don’t have to do this, right? If you’re not uncomfortable with it-”

You raised an eyebrow and then reached into your pockets to fish out your earphones as well as your mobile.

“Well, I guess it’s your lucky day, honour boy.”

Handing him an earbud and watching him hesitantly place it in his ear, you did the same while picking out a song fit for the occasion.

“No! I-I just, I’d love- I mean! Jeez, why do I keep stuttering?” He mostly asked himself, his face turning darker shade in the process.

_What’s happening to my mojo? Come on, you idiot, speak!_

Leo then tightened his hold around your neck, almost locking you in place. He managed to hold some of his confidence together as a lopsided smirk crept its way to his lips. “I’m game if you are. That’s if, you’re afraid?”

You rolled your eyes at his sudden change in attitude, “One, I initiated this so back off, and two, we’re _dancing._ This isn’t as big as you’re making it out to be.”

Wow. That was a massive kick to the dick. _It is for_ _me_ _…_

“Whatever, just try not to swoon for me too hard, okay handsome?”

“You’re adorable when you’re flustered.” You shook your head and played the song before the turtle had a chance to counter your statement.

You shoved your phone back into your pocket as _’[Flightless bird, American mouth’](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FSgmVhsXq0EQ&t=MTI3ODAwODFmMGQ0OTQ2OGM4MGJiZmI2YmJhNDkyN2RjYmIxNWEwMiwxMzFkNzMwZjI3ODg0NDNhZGFhMjE5NzY4OTY0OWM5NTA1NGExN2Iy)_ began to play, then moving back to hold onto his waist as you did previously, but holding him a little closer. Having better control over matching his sway with yours. For once, the teenager was lost for words. Now all he could focus on was the proximity between you.

_I was a quick wet boy_

_Diving too deep for coins_

_All of your straight blind eyes_

_Wide on my plastic toys._

_Then when the cops closed the fair_

_I cut my long baby hair_

_Stole me a dog eared map_

_And called for you everywhere_

The soft instrumental gave Leo chills as he felt the hairs of your neck brush against his wrists. His fingers found their way to the tufts of your hair, nervously rubbing the strands between his fingertips. Leo’s dark orbs managed to drift back to yours, relaxing into your movements as he picked up on the sway of your hips, synching.

_Have I found you?_

_Flightless bird, jealous, weeping_

_Or lost you?_

_American mouth_

_Big bill looming_

_Now I’m a fat house cat-_

Your face remained soft and completely focused on his features, the innocence in him you always admired had found its way into his eyes.

Glossy.

Your heart swelled as his body relaxed into yours, feeling his loosen and unwind as you slowly move your feet from side to side, him following in unison.

“Seriously?” Leo snorted loudly, head tilting forward to bump yours, leaving you both grinning widely as your sways became more and more in rhythm, stepping to the beat.

_Cursing my sore blunt tongue_

_Watching the warm poison rats_

_Curl through the wide white fence cracks_

_Pissing on magazine photos_

_Those fishing lured thrown in the cold and clean_

_Blood of Christ mountain stream…_

_Have I found you?_

_Flightless bird, brown hair bleeding_

_Or lost you?_

_American mouth_

_Big bill, stuck going down…_

Despite the song coming to an end, your bodies still rocked with your forehead’s resting on one another. Your arms seemed to have wrapped themselves around the turtle’s shell, his plastron firmly pressed to your belly, sharing each others warmth.

A moment had passed and you were ready for Leo to pull away, joke about how gay that was and call it a day. But he didn’t. Instead, his muscular arms came to coil their way around your neck, hand tucking itself into your hair as he pressed his face into your nape.

“Play it again.”

_Don’t ever stop playing it._


End file.
